Problems of Formation of Children’s Interest in Sustainable Development

Abstract

Youth is considered the vanguard of change, building a society of sustainable development. However, sociological surveys show that in our country only a few percent of young people, including schoolchildren, know about the ideas of sustainable development. There are even fewer of them who are ready to do something for sustainable development. At the same time, the number of passive, indifferent to the changes taking place in society, socially apathetic, who are “not interested in anything” is growing. The purpose of the study is to analyze the attitude of teachers to the problem of reducing the cognitive interest of students. Empirical research methods make it possible to collect material indicating that a third of teachers do not pay special attention to the development of curiosity in schoolchildren, the formation of their readiness for socially significant activities. The author substantiates the need to study the state of their interest in learning in general among younger schoolchildren, which determines the cognitive interest in learning and the formation of the motivational sphere of the individual. With insufficient attention of teachers and educators to this problem in elementary school, the risk of a decrease in learning interest and loss of learning motivation in basic school increases; substitution of spiritual needs for material ones; “departure” into the virtual world, and the desire to change reality and the environment for the better do not fall into the sphere of interest of a teenager. The article actualizes the problem of studying by teachers and school psychologists the sphere of interests of younger schoolchildren and the purposeful development of their interest in knowledge, the prospects for the research in the context of a wide range of environmental issues, education of empathy, readiness for empathy and complicity in socially significant matters are outlined. Recommendations are given to elementary school teachers on what signs of the child’s behavior should be paid attention to in time to prevent the development of social apathy in them.